Children's ✦ Penny’s Take
Not Starring Zadie Louise
Joy McCullough · 2023
82/100
👍 Worth It
A STEM-minded girl who actively resists the spotlight is a refreshing middle-grade protagonist, and the theater backstage setting gives the comedy real texture. The financial hardship thread is handled with unusual delicacy — present and real without ever tipping into heavy-handed. Kirkus's comparison to Tim Federle and Gordon Korman is apt and sets accurate expectations.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
safety95
substance80
craft83
originality78
accuracy85
hype72
age-fit88
human-eye82
Penny’s verdict82
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